Fire alarm aerotube apparatus



June 4,; 1940. w. J. KLEINKNECHT 2,203,055

FIRE ALARM AEROTUBE APPARATUS Filed June 30, 1958 INVENTOR M/z'i'iz'am J/fieinkneci'd;

A D GU ATTORNEY.

Patented June 4, 1940 amass FIRE ALARM AEROTUBE APPARATUS I William J. Kleinknecht, Garden'City, N. -Y., as: signer to American District Telegraph. Company, Inc., Jersey City, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 30, 1938, Serial No. 216,671

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improvement in a device for fire alarm systems, and more particularly to an alarm initiating, aerotube assembly.

I! One outstanding feature of the present arrangement lies in the manner in which an elongate length of aerotubing is condensed into a small compact coil, in 'contradistinction to the customary method of installing such areotubes,

by stringing them longitudinally, along mouldings, in a protected room, or around the upper sections of the walls of such rooms.

The condensed coil arrangement of the tubing herein disclosed permits of the provision of a large amount of tubing in a small space, thereby to obtain greater atmospheric surface exposure and greater speed of operation, during critical room temperature change periods, and, due to its compactness, is more economical to install, as

will hereinafter be noted. I

A further feature of advantage is that, in the tubular coil arrangements herein shown, the tubing is more fully exposed to the surrounding atmosphere, there being substantially very little shielding of the tubing, such as happens in the present, earlier methods of moulding or wall installations, and thereby more surface area of the aerotube is presented to the atmosphere. A further feature in this latter respect is that the aerocoils are mounted in skeleton supports a sufficient distance from the wall or ceiling and the .coils are thus substantially surrounded by, and subjected to, the free circulation of air currents thereabout, due, in part, to the cradle-like construction of said supports.

The foregoing and other novel features and functions will be apprehended as the herein description proceeds, and it will be obvious that modifications maybe made in the disclosures herein, without departing from the spirit hereof or the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of the present improvement;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2- -2,

Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, enlarged, plan view of a coil support frame, modified over that shown in Fig. l; I

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-4, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary bottom view of the 5s skeletal frame shown in Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a fragment of an aerocoil;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of a section of aerocoil showing a side View of Fig. 6; and 5 Fig. 8 is a reduced view, in elevation of a modilied coil and mounting.

The device shown in Fig. 1 comprises abase plate l, having three integral, upstanding incurved'arms 2, the upper edges thereof being 10 joined by an annulus 3, which also, as seen in Fig.2, partakes of the curve shown'in the lower sectioned arm in Fig. 2. The curve of the arms 2, and rim 3, form a supporting seat for the coiled aerotube unit 4, which is first helically wound .1 up in a straight cylindrical coil, and then the ends, at 4- and 4' are brought togethertoform an annular coil, the diameter of the'individually wound coils fittingthe curve of the arms 2 and rim 3, as shown in the lower half of the section 20 of Fig. 2. The'router and inner diameters of the annular aerocoil are variable, and being flexible, like a coiled spring, the complete aerounit, or rosette, is snugly and contractedly held on the skeleton frame I, 2 and 3. 25

The circular base I .is provided near its outer perimeter with two apertures H and h, Fig. 1, h being shown dotted under rim 3, and through these two apertures, the ends ID of each end of the aerorosette unit 4 are led across tothe oppo-. 30 1 site side of the base, where the saidends H] are connected to the aerolines leading to'the electric alarmi initiating means, or relay, in the well known manner, notshown. A. recess R, Figs. 1

and 2, located in the underrim 5 of the base 3 permits the tube ends ill-to pass from in under the base in an undistorted line.

As a means for holding the aerounit! in its circular embrace in the skeleton frame l-2-3, the adjacent opposite end .coils 4' and are 4 caught together with a suitable metal clamp, Figs. 6' and 7, said clamp comprising a bridge section it, the elongate ends I! of which are formed at right angles to the bridge piece 6, these being bent under the tubular end sections 4-4, as at l8-|8, Fig. 6, and the bridge piece l6 may be bent down as in Fig. '7, and thus enclose the otherwise unconnected coil ends 4 and 4", and thus hold the aerounit in annular assembly. 50 To mount the rosette or aerounit, it is merely sprung, or expanded open and placed in position.

If it is desired to more firmly afiix this rosette into its supporting frame, a wire W, Figs. 1 and 2, may be strung around the inside face of the coils of the annulus 4, and the ends of the wire bound. together.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5, there is shown another form of skeleton aerocoil supporting frame, which comprises a base II, having an outer flanged rim I2, thus creating a recess S in the rear of the base. The central portion of the base is provided with a boss 6, which has a bore "I therein whereby like the base I, of Figs. 1 and 2, the frame may be afiixed to a wall or ceiling sup-. port, by a screw, not shown.

The base II, Figs. 3, 4 and 5, is provided with I upstanding, spaced, integral, outwardly curved support arms I3, and these are joined at their upper ends by a circular =rim I5. Intermediate of the base II and rim I5 is located a circular reinforcing ring I 4, which joins all of the arms E3. The inner face of ring I 5 partakes of the curve of the arms I3, and this curve is of the same dimensions as the transverse section of the wound aerotube coil 4. In placing a rosette like unit 4 in the frame or support of Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the coil unit ,4 is compressed and entered in from the top, whereupon it then expands intothe seat formed by the arms I3, ring I4 and rim I5. 7

The support frame shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, are both provided with tube retaining clamps 8, Figs. 2 and 5, said clamp being provided with ofi'sets 8-8', Fig. 5, at its ends to provide a recessed seat for each tube end I 0, the clamp being held to the base portions of the aerocoil bases by a screw 9.

Both aerocoil supports herein are made skeletal in form, hold the aerocoils in annular and circular embrace, one of the coils embracing the aerocoil on the outer annular face, the other form embracing the aerocoil on its inner annular face. The form of support shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is in the nature of an outer protective armour and is useful in installations where the aerocoil is subject to accidental knocks or contacts, and thus is protective against accidental contacts which might collapse the tubing. Both forms of support give the tubing the maximum exposure to the atmosphere and thus expose it to any temperature changes.

Another form of aerotube coil, possessing the same functions and features of the units shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is shown in Fig. 8, wherein the aerotube unit I9 is in a single, coiled form, but is not formed into an annular construction, but is left in a straight helical form. The lowermost terminal helice 20 has an integral uprising leg 2i, which is bent to pass up through the center of the coil-unit I9, and is bent at right angles at its top, and is again bent, at right angles to form an aerotube extension 22, which is connected into the aeroalarm tube circuit not shown but understood.

The upper terminal helice 24 of the coil unit I9, is provided with an integral offset extension 23, which is arranged in a substantially parallel relation with the other extension 22, extension also being connected into the usual aeroalarm circuit, not shown.

The straight coil unit I9 is held in operative position and supported by a U-shaped narrow metal bracket having a top transverse portion 28, and from which two downwardly extending legs 25 and 26 depend, both legs being provided with opposed, right angled, short, coil supporting ends 27-21, at their lower ends, upon which the coil unit I9 rests. The upper transverse crossbar 28, may be provided with a screw receiving aperture 29, whereby the assembled, supported coil I9 may be fastened to a wall or ceiling surface when. in operative position. The aerocoil I9 is thus held, like previously described coil units 4 in such operative'position as to be fully exposed to surrounding atmospheric conditions with a minimum of atmospheric shielding effects. The structure of Fig. 8 may be vertically or horizontally suspended and is adapted to be installed under conditions not adapted for the installation of the forms of Figs. 1 and 3, but has the same features, functions and advantages as described for Figs. 1 and 3.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is: 4

1. A fire-alarm initiating means comprising a substantially circular base; a ring spaced and parallel to the periphery of the base; a helically wound coil of aerotube having closely spaced windings, and having its axis annularly disposed parallel to said ring, the windings transversely engaging said ring and periphery as seats and being disposed partly therebetween; and a Wire in the coil in a plane between and parallel to said seats and engaging the inner face of the windings at the smallest diameter of the coil for holding the coil on the seats. I

2. A fire-alarm initiating means comprising a substantially circular base; a ring spaced and parallel to the periphery of the base; a helically wound coil of aerotube having closely spaced windings, and having its axis annularly disposed parallel to said ring, the windings transversely engaging said ring and periphery as seats and being disposed partly therebetween; annular means in a plane between and parallel to said seats and engaging the outer face of the windings at the largest diameter of the coil for holding the coil on the seats; and arms curved partly around the outer part of the coil and joining said ring, base and annular means for supporting the ring on the base.

3. A fire-alarm initiating means comprising a substantially circular base having a peripheral flange and a screw opening; a ring spaced from and parallel to the periphery of the base on the side opposite to the base; a helically wound coil of aerotube having closely spaced windings, said coil having its axis annularly disposed parallel to said periphery and ring, the windings transversely engaging both said ring and periphery as seats and being disposed partly therebetween; the diameter of each winding being greater than the distance between the ring and periphery, the helix being disposed exterior to the ring and periphery; the periphery of 'said base being provided with oppositely disposed pairs of adjacent openings, the tube at the ends of the helix being passed through one pair of openings against the back face of the base and then through the other pair; a clamp clamping together adjacentend windings together; and a wire on the inside of the helix adjacent to the inner diameter of the coil, and having its ends secured together, for holding the coil against its seats.

4. In combination with the ceiling or wall or other support of a room, a fire-alarm initiating means comprising a circular base having a peripheral flange and a central screw opening by which the base is secured with said flange against the support by means of a single screw, leaving a space between the base and support; a helically wound coil of aerotube having closely spaced windings, said coil having its axis annularly disposed parallel to the periphery of said base, the

windings transversely engaging said base near the periphery; the periphery of said base being provided with oppositely disposed pairs of adjacent openings, the tube at the ends of the helix being passed through one pair of openings against the back face of the base and then through the other pair.

5. A fire-alarm initiating means comprising a substantially circular base having a peripheral flange and a screw opening; a helically wound coil of aerotube having closely spaced windings, said coil having its axis annularly disposed parallel to said base, the windings transversely en gaging the peripheral portion of the base; the periphery of said base being provided with oppo sitely disposed pairs of adjacent openings, the tube at the ends of the helix being passed through one pair of openings against the back face of the base and then through the other pair.

6. A fire-alarm initiating means comprising a substantially flat base adapted to be secured to a wall or ceiling; an aerotube having closely spaced windings, disposed onsaid base, the windings engaging said base, the windings being substantially all offset from the base on one side thereof whereby when the base is attached to a ceiling warmed air from a fire is directed by the ceiling to and through all of the windings.

'7. A fire-alarm initiating means comprising a substantially flat base adapted to be secured to a wall or ceiling; a helically wound coil of aerotube having closely spaced windings, and having its axis substantially annularly disposed parallel to said base, the windings being substantially all offset from the base on one side thereof; and means for holding the coil on the base.

8. A fire-alarm initiatingmeans comprising a substantially flat base; a helically wound coil of aerotube having closely spaced windings, and having its axis annularly disposed parallel to said base, the windings being offset from the base and transversely loosely engaging said base; and

I means loosely engaging the windings for holding the coil on the base.

9. A fire-alarm initiating means comprising a substantially flat base; a substantially ring-like memberspaced and substantially parallel to the periphery of the base; a helically wound coil of aerotube having closely spaced windings, and having its axis annularly disposed parallel to said ring-like member, the windings transversely loosely engaging said member and periphery as seats and being disposed partly therebetween; and substantially annular means in a plane between and parallel to said seats and loosely engaging the windings for holding the coil from moving outwardly from the seats; whereby said coil is held on the base without the use of solder and may be easily and quickly detached from the base and mounted thereon.

' WILLIAM J. KLEINKNECHT, 

